U.S., Afghan Forces Launch Major Offensive Against Islamic State

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U.S. and Afghan special-operations troops are carrying out a major air and ground offensive to clear Islamic State fighters from a district where the militant group aspires to make its local capital.

The operation, launched unannounced at the end of last month, has killed some 140 Islamic State fighters in Deh Bala district, according to the U.S. military.

“We’re going to destroy the Islamic State in Deh Bela,” said Rezwanullah Basharmal, the top Afghan government official in the district. “The militants still hold a small piece of territory in the mountains but soon that area will be liberated, too, and the Islamic State virus will be eliminated.”

The U.S. military reported no American or Afghan government soldiers killed in the offensive, which is expected to continue over the coming days or weeks…